CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised J&T Bank on the financing aspects of a joint venture between the CPI Property Group and Best Hotel Properties, which purchased a 50% stake in a EUR 347 million portfolio of eight hotel properties.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised SMV Invest Group on an issue of perpetual certificates in the Czech Republic.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised the Seyfor Group on its acquisition of a 35% stake in Digitask from Filip Drimalka.
Did you know that the CEE Q1 leaderboards are available through the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website?
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised the Corinthia Group on the long-term lease for the Corinthia Prague hotel with a company from the Czech Inn Holding group. FMK Florian Michalek Kvasnicka reportedly advised the counterparty.
In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As we bid farewell to 2023, this time around we turn our attention forward: What is your one main wish for 2024 and what do you see as the biggest potential risk?
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised the owners of Anesan on its sale to Penta Hospitals. The Evan law firm reportedly advised Penta Hospitals.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised the J&T Group on its sale of FVE Holding to the EPH Group.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised real estate investment fund Nemomax on its first EU growth prospectus.
It was another strong year for the leading law firms in Central and Eastern Europe, which, combined, worked on over a thousand deals and other client matters across the region reported on by CEE Legal Matters this year. According to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, Clifford Chance, which worked on an impressive 95 CEELM-reported CEE client matters in 2023, led the international firms in the region, with Schoenherr, which worked on 90, close behind. Dentons (82), CMS (71), Wolf Theiss (65), Cobalt (66), Kinstellar (50), White & Case (45), and Allen & Overy (42) took notable places on the leaderboard as well.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised on the establishment of two endowment funds in the Czech Republic: Eva Pavlova’s Endowment Fund and Vaclav Cigler’s Endowment Fund.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised J&T Arch Investments on its investment in the BHP Hotels fund, which acquired a 45% stake in The Westminster London, Curio Collection by Hilton hotel.
KSB has advised J&T Banka on the refinancing of the Fidurock Group, with the value of the financing obtained potentially reaching up to CZK 1 billion.
KSB has advised the Seyfor Group on its acquisition of the KS-Program software company.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised Jet Investment on its acquisition of building insulation producer Likov via the Jet 3 Qualified Investor Fund.
With ESG having been a buzzword in the Czech real estate market for a few years now, Clifford Chance Partner Emil Holub, Kocian Solc Balastik Partner Jiri Hornik, VIDD Partner Ondrej Hampl, Taylor Wessing Counsel Radka Nenickova, and Act Legal Czech Republic Partner Tomas Slaby look at how ESG principles are being applied in practice and in what areas there is still room for improvement.
The impact and perception of ESG considerations in the CEE region, and specifically in the Czech Republic, is still in the early stages of its evolutionary path, compared to, say, the U.K., the U.S., or larger Western European economies. There is certain skepticism and uncertainty as to what this new trendy acronym means and if, at the end of the day, it will really impact a Czech industrial family business, a hotel, or a high-tech start-up. ESG considerations, policies, and metrics are likely to be more familiar (and implemented to a certain degree) to a large Czech company – moreover, when it’s a part of an international corporate group – rather than a smaller Czech enterprise, but of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
Kocian Solc Balastik has advised web hosting company Webglobe on the acquisition of its eBola Czech competitor operating under the eBola.cz brand name.
Kocian Solc Balastik (KSB) is one of the few Czech law firms who have been on the market for over 30 years and is still independent. With a team of almost seventy legal and tax specialists operating in Prague, Karlovy Vary and Ostrava, KSB is one of the largest law firms in the Czech Republic.
Thanks to the ratings of clients and our competitors, we are a highly respected and acknowledged law firm, as evidenced by a number of prestigious awards, especially the four-time Chambers Europe Award for Excellence for the best law firm in the Czech Republic, often we have been the only purely Czech law firm among the nominees.
Our priority is to provide added value to clients. Therefore, we know the specifics of their business and adapt the proposed solutions to the client’s context, with great emphasis on professional ethics and building long-term relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
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